2023-02-12 Beacon

BEACON

WELCOME

Shalimar UMC

Lead Pastor

Dr. Philip McVay

Dr. Brad Bradford Worship Pastor

Rev. David Garvin Youth Pastor

Rev. Matt Langford Associate Pastor

Gerald Batton Custodian

Chris Bennett Facility & Maintenance Manager

Pat Brantley Office Administrative Assistant

Abigail Denney Media & Communications

Joy Harris Financial Assistant

Denise Heath Finance

Sarah Hicks Children’s Director

Karen Jadin Preschool Director

Tony Mallini Interim Church Administrator

Heyward McKenzie Chef

Katie Pascoe Nursery Director

Leigh J. Rice Respite Director

Dawn Rozofsky After School & Camp Director

Ben Savage Worship Arts

Jeremy Thiess Ministries Assistant

After Hours Emergency Pastoral Assistance

Dr. Philip McVay: (850) 607-1133

Dr. Brad Bradford: (850) 227-4328

Rev. David Garvin: (850) 319-0072

Rev. Matt Langford: (334) 437-3931

Table Of Contents

Our Vision

Christ-centerd, multi-generational, family & community relevant ministries through worship, discipleship, and mission.

Page No.

Page 5

Page 6

Page 8

Page 9

Page 10

Page 14

Page 17

Page 18

Page 19

Our Mission

Tite Text Here

This Sunday in Worship

Church Life

Weekly Schedule

Philip’s Focus

A Word from Bishop Graves

Announcements & Articles

Joyful Place

The Bread House

Stay Connected

We REACH out to our congregation, community, and the world.

We TEACH the word of God as provided in the Holy-Scripture.

We SEND our members and missionaries to be witnesses to God’s grace and His promise of eternal life.

Worship Services

Sunday at Shalimar

Traditions: 8AM & 11AM

Meet us in the Sanctuary as we celebrate through the rich traditions of our faith. Such as hymns led by organ and piano, seasonal vestments, and Traditional Methodist liturgy. Our Chancel Choir leads the 11AM service.

Connect: 9:30AM

Join us in the Sanctuary as we engage in a fourfold services of gathering, praise, service of the Word, Holy Communion with candle stations of prayer, and sending forth. Worship is a blend of contemporary praise songs and upbeat hymns.

Freedom: 11:07AM

Located in the Family Life Center Gym as we come together and worship through modern music, Fellowship time, and listen to an inspirational message in a contemporary atmosphere.

This Sunday in Worship

February 12, 2023

8AM | TRADITIONS | SANCTUARY

In Person & Online

Message by Dr. Philip McVay

Worship Led by Dr. Brad Bradford and Gloryland

9:30AM | SANCTUARY

In Person & Online

Message by Rev. Matt Langford

Worship Led by Dr. Brad Bradford and the Connect Worship Team

11AM | TRADITIONS | SANCTUARY

In Person & Online

Message by Dr. Philip McVay

Worship Led by Dr. Brad Bradford and Chancel Choir

11:07AM | FAMILY LIFE CENTER

In Person & Online

Message by Rev. Matt Langford

Worship Led by Ben Savage and The Freedom Team

Parable of the Ten Bridesmaids

“Then the Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten bridesmaids who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. The five who were foolish didn’t take enough olive oil for their lamps, but the other five were wise enough to take along extra oil. When the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

“At midnight they were roused by the shout, ‘Look, the bridegroom is coming! Come out and meet him!’

“All the bridesmaids got up and prepared their lamps. Then the five foolish ones asked the others, ‘Please give us some of your oil because our lamps are going out.’

“But the others replied, ‘We don’t have enough for all of us. Go to a shop and buy some for yourselves.’

“But while they were gone to buy oil, the bridegroom came. Then those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was locked.Later, when the other five bridesmaids returned, they stood outside, calling, ‘Lord! Lord! Open the door for us!’

“But he called back, ‘Believe me, I don’t know you!’

“So you, too, must keep watch! For you do not know the day or hour of my return.

- Mathew 25:1-13 (NLT)

CHURCH LIFE 06

YOUTH CHOIR SUB SALE

If you pre-registered for subs, you may pick up your order from the FLC on Sunday any time before 12:15pm.

$1: Chips/Drinks

$6: 1 Sub

$25: 4 Subs & chips + a 2 liter soda

A limited number of subs will also be available for purchase from the FLC.

A GRAND VALENTINE’S NIGHT

Tuesday, February 14 7pm in the Sanctuary

We would love to invite you to our Grand Valentine’s Night provided by The Stegall Foundation. Join us after your dinner reservation we know you already have and enjoy a night of entertainment by renowned pianist, Randall Atcheson.

The event is free for all to attend.

LENTEN SEASON

Ash Wednesday: This year we will have two worship opportunites for our Ash Wednesday service. Join us either at 12pm or 6pm in the Sanctuary on Wednesday, February 22.

Seven Deadly Sins Bible Study: We have our Lent Bible Study “Seven Deadly Sins” held every Tuesday during Lent at 9am or 6pm in the Music Suite.

The I AM Sermon Series: Our Lent sermon series, “The I AM” kicks off on Sunday, January 26. Invite your friends and families as we prepare our hearts for Jesus’s passions and resurrection.

Week of February 12, 2023

WEEKLY SCHEDULE

Philip’s Focus

Our Lent Sermon Series, “The IAM” will start on Sunday, February 26.

During Lent we will seak to kmow all we can about God by using the “I AM” sayings of Jesus throughout the gospel. Each saying offers a way that God is working to reveal himself to the world through Jesus in a way that all of us can easily see and understand. During Lent we will uncover that not pnly do we want to know and understand God more, but God also desires to be known by us. God has moved toward humanity in Jesus. Our Hope in each saying we study every week is that you might see the love of God, accept this love, and share this same love with others.

The Gospel of John has one main function that it is seeking to convey to all who read it: “Jesus is the revelatory body of God.” From the first words of John, we see that Jesus has not only come as the son of God, the messiah, but Jesus is in fact the Word of God. This means that through the incarnation, we get a true glimpse of the self-revealing nature of God, So, the more we can know about Jesus the more we can know about God, and the more we know about God the more we can know about who God called us to be!

Shalom, Philip Page 10 is Another Word From Bishop Graves

As I have stated before, we are blessed to have the ministry and discipleship-mindeed Bishop David Graves, as our resident bishop, in this time of denominational turmoil. He is a gifted writer and speaking when it comes to difficult subjects. As our church continues to discern the future, please take a moment and read Bishop Graves’s letter. You need to know that I have experienced the same pain, as a pastor with my family as he shares in this letter. You also need to know I not only identify with his reflections but also agree with him.

Lead Pastor

Dr. Philip McVay

philip@shalimar-umc.org

Lent Sermon Series: “The IAM”

another word from Bishop Graves

The Harm Caused by Church Conferences Voting to Disaffiliate

Friends of the Alabama-West Florida Conference, This is the third in a series of four articles I am releasing related to church disaffiliations. The first week of the new year I shared with both Alabama-West Florida and South Georgia that the conference trustees and cabinets presented a plan to utilize Paragraph 2549 in 2024 following the General Conference to provide an option for churches to exercise the right to exit the conference and denomination. Both cabinets have communicated called special annual conference sessions in August of 2024. This will allow churches to have comprehensive information from the 2024 General Conference session now scheduled April 23-Mary 3, 2024 in Charlotte, NC. While we cannot predict outcomes, there could be matters that the annual conference will need to address at the conclusion of the session. We will seek to base our decisions on facts to make strategic decisions. For this reason, I have repeatedly asked churches to stay in the United Methodist connection and place their energies on making disciples.

A couple of weeks ago, I shared my second article entitled, “This is NOT a Business Deal,” which made the rounds throughout the denomination. My focus was to be a voice for leaders who are surrounded by individuals spreading misinformation and calling for disaffiliation. While each reader will certainly have their opinions of that article, it has garnered significant discussions in the connection.

Church conferences are happening in some of our AWF and SGA congregations. Most of these are being held to finalize the voting process on disaffiliating. To summarize in one brief statement, these conferences are causing harm in several ways. While some churches are to be commended for the honorable way they have conducted the disaffiliation process, many have not, in my opinion. From my observations, anxious actions are often

driven by a few people, including some pastors, whose ultimate goal is to vote; they are rarely a truthful and spirit-led discernment process. When the aforementioned group cries out for discernment, what they really are asking is to vote. We live in a culture of, “If they said it, it must be true.” For years, data has shown what most people believe about the Bible is what someone else has told them, not what they have read and studied for themselves. I believe this same dynamic is happening in local churches around voting and disaffiliation.

Stories continue to flood my inbox such as the young and the old crying after a church vote; people 40 and under walking out and leaving after a vote; the grief of losing the church they once were a part of; and the cruel and hard things people say in these meetings. Several have written and stated that they don’t want to get involved in a church that wants to be focused only on what the church is against. The church in America has become irrelevant in many ways and our “witness” is making it worse. We have played into the hands of our culture in thinking that church should reflect our own personal views and values. This is not true everywhere, but we are fast approaching this mindset.

What I am about to share happened 26 years ago to me. As a young pastor I was appointed to two mid-size congregations for the purpose of merging to form one church. It would be quite easy to put the blame on my bishop and district superintendent for appointing me to such a situation, but I was the one who suggested it. My bishop and district superintendent provided me with a wonderful support system. In recent months, I assumed that I had worked through my pain and woundedness of the one year that I served in that appointment. However, the present-day stories of church conferences voting around disaffiliations have triggered the trauma of a very difficult time in my life, one that almost cost me my ministry.

In 1994, I was appointed to a church that had a membership of just over 300 and was averaging around 100 persons in worship. It was a church that ten years prior had another small-membership church merge with them that was declining and no longer self-sustaining. Within three years we had grown to a membership in the high 300s averaging 300 people in worship in two services. We had run out of parking and worship space. The church sat on one acre of land. We had small groups meeting everywhere including storage closets. We received phone calls on Monday morning from our neighbors who complained about traffic and people blocking driveways, etc. It was an exciting time, but we needed more space. Another United Methodist Church just over a mile away had 500 members and was averaging about 200 people in worship with more parking, more facilities and 14 acres of land. Their pastor was retiring in June of 1997 and the logic was that if these two churches could merge, they could move to the larger property and do new ministry together. Both church charge conferences voted to pursue the merger.

In June of 1997, I was appointed to this new two-point charge. It was the only

two-point charge I served as a pastor until I became a bishop. We worked together on several projects that summer with combined nightly worship services, and we shared our resources. A task force was announced representing both churches to negotiate the merger details which included staff, property, finances, and church leadership. This group worked hard and as we moved into August, there were rumblings of why this merger was wrong. Some members from both churches did not want it. In fact, they formed a group consisting of people from both churches to fight to end the process and call a vote. “Let’s vote and get this decided,” they declared. Straw polls were taken, and some people were actively working to defeat a potential merger while others worked to pass it. The call to vote now became louder, and people were showing the worst of themselves. Does any of this sound familiar?!

One day, my daughter who was in the 7th grade and very active in the youth group at that time, asked my wife, “Why don’t people like my dad?” That deeply hurt.

On September 21, 1997, we voted. The pressure to vote was overwhelming, and I regretfully gave in. “At least this part will be over,” or so I thought. What I learned that day was that it was only the beginning. The two churches held the votes at the same time and four district superintendents oversaw the process. The thinking was that both groups would not know how the other had voted before their vote.

These two churches showed up to vote as both churches were full and the membership was represented. That night I learned first-hand what power and control were all about. Both churches had to pass the resolution to merge for it to happen. Only a simple majority was needed to move ahead. At the first church the vote failed 60 to 40%. At the second church it failed by one vote.

It wasn’t the fact that the vote to merge failed that upset me that night, it was what I witnessed from people. People stood and said so many harmful things about others. People who had not been in church for years showed up because someone told them to come and vote no and “save their church.” Sadly, many of these persons who came and voted did not show up the following Sunday, or the next or the next. They brought one woman in on a gurney from the care facility to vote NO and promised her a McDonald’s hamburger on the way back. One man was bragging that his son who had come and voted saved their church.

I could go on, yet I think you know the story. Perhaps it hits too close to home. The aftermath of that September night was tough. Some people were dancing in the parking lot, others were arguing with each other, while many were just overcome with emotion and grief of what they were witnessing. When I finally locked the second church up and headed to the parsonage, it was late in the evening. At that moment, I just wanted to be alone. I had told my family after they voted to go home. I didn’t want them to be exposed to what I knew was coming. When I arrived at the parsonage, it was full of people from both churches who were upset and wanting to be supportive of me. The understanding from the district

superintendent was if the merger vote failed, I would be moved and not pastor either church. All I knew in that moment was I was exhausted and had to get up the next morning and be the pastor to these two congregations. All of them! Sunday was coming.

Over the next nine months, I had to work hard to overcome my grief and pastor people. As we approached January, my Bishop ultimately decided that giving me a new appointment was the best thing for all involved. Both the churches that had voted no to merge have had their ups and downs. One of the churches went on to have some of their best years of ministry in their history. Today, they are filled with people fewer in number, one is still a two-point charge, but still doing ministry and proclaiming Jesus. Most of those who fought the merger have died. Sadly 12 of the people that were so vocal died in the following nine months after the merger vote. I conducted all of their funerals at their request. I look back on that with awe of what God did in one of the most difficult times of my ministry and life.

What I learned is that everyone counts. I wanted a church merger to happen, but if it did pass in both churches, there would have been a lot of people hurt on the other side. It’s a real-life example of why I don’t like church voting. At times it is necessary, but we must work to heal and not hate; to love and not demonize; to forgive and not be bitter.

We are inflicting a lot of harm to each other with these disaffiliation votes. In many places when you vote you are not ending the division, you are only beginning a cyclical process. It will take two or three generations to move past some of what is being done right now in our churches. Some people will leave, others will leave over time, and new people will come. The sad part is that some will leave church altogether and never return. In the year to come, data will reveal how many of these churches who disaffiliated end up closing.

In later years, God has spoken these words into my soul many times about 1997, “If you had been bold about not voting and waited until a year or two with these two congregations working together, it would have been revealed to more people of what the next steps were.” I believe that so much in hindsight. Yet the cry to, “Vote, let’s vote, let’s get this over with,” ruled the day.

Hear my heart in why I am asking all of us to wait: I feel we need to wait on the Lord. If you feel differently, please remember that all voices are relevant in this discussion!

“But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”

- Isaiah 40:31

In Christ, Bishop David Graves Resident Bishop Alabama-West Florida Conference

& articles

MISSIONS MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Did You Know?

SUMC Church Family, Did you know that we have an active SUMC Missions Committe that meets the third Tuesday of every month at the Bread House at 6pm?

We warmly welcome you to join us! Maybe you have an idea for a Mission and Outreach avtivity SUMC should be involved in.... Come share!

Please reach out to Pete Peters for more information

ppeters@invernesstechnologies.com

So You’re In The Know... [a Shalimar UMC podcast]

We are thrilled to introduce “So You’re In The Know... [a Shalimar UMC podcast]” hosted by Rev. Matt Langford and Ben Savage! This podcast is a new and exciting way for our church congregation to stay connected and informed.

Each Thursday, listeners will have the opportunity to hear from our leaders, learn about important events and initiatives, and gain a deeper understanding of our community. With its accessible and convenient format, “So You’re In The Know.” is the perfect way to stay connected and informed no matter where you are. Join us as we work together to build a stronger and more connected community!

But why? The simple answer is the recent success of long form conversation formats. Long-form conversation is successful for several reasons:

1. Deep Dive into Topics: Long-form conversation provides the opportunity for a more in-depth exploration of a topic, allowing for a more comprehensive understanding of the subject.

2. Building Relationships: Long-form conversation allows for a more personal and intimate exchange, creating a sense of connection and building relationships between the speakers and listeners.

3. Room for Complexity: Complex topics often require more time and space to fully explore and understand. Long-form conversation provides the time and space necessary to delve into the complexities of a subject.

We invite you to experience this with our recent podcast “Ep. 26 - Reboot Recovery, Dr. Deb Hutto, Maj. Craig Martin, USA, Ret., and Hidden Treasures” located here: https://tinyurl.com/4464sac3 This podcast is available on shalimar-umc.org/media, Shalimar UMC app, and Spotify, Email our producer Chris Day at podcast@shalimar-umc.org on how to get your ministry on the show. Now, you are in the know!

- Ben Savage Worship Arts

Finance Committee Report

On behalf of the Finance Committee, I wanted to report that the church council has approved the 2023 church operational budget. This year’s budget is centered on growing the Kingdom and supports all the wonderful programs of our church. You may have noticed the increased focus on our programs during our worship services lately. This effort is to communicate how your contribution supports the mission of our church; Reach, Teach, and Send. As I hope you have witnessed, our church is growing in so many ways. As we have been blessed individually, our church has also been blessed with a desire to serve our Lord here at Shalimar and make an impact for Jesus in so many ways.

We do have challenges and a good friend of mine used to say there is no testimony without a test. So, as we enter a time of deep discernment let us see through the challenges we face and continue the mission in worship, outreach, and service in the name of the Lord.

Our stewardship efforts this year have seen an increase in the number of commitment cards as well as an increase in the commitment of giving for the coming year. Our goal this year for commitment cards is 230 and as of this week, we are just 7 short of that goal. Please consider submitting a card if you have not already. Your contribution to our operating budget provides for the resources of our wonderful staff as well as maintaining our facilities and many programs and missions we have. We know our church is a giving church. This has been proven time and time again. Every time there has been a need communicated to our church, we have met the challenge joyfully. In addition to an increased focus on our many programs, you will see a weekly budget report in the Beacon. Our hope is that this will provide clear financial information to our congregation and show how our contributions are meeting the needs of our operations. As we seek to strengthen our faith through worship this year, it is our hope that you see how your contribution is growing the Kingdom here in our Shalimar community as well as the mission field here and abroad.

In His Service,

JD Peacock Chair, SUMC Finance Committee

Joyful Place

Recently, Leigh, Kathy and Beth attended the Respite for All Conference in Montgomery. The two-day conference was filled with instruction, inspiration, and interaction with over 150 attendees all dedicated to Reclaiming Joy Together.

If you would like to learn more about the Respite For All Foundation and Joyful Place, please call, message or visit us on Tuesdays or Thursday from 10-2. We are always happy to spread the word about our ministry.

(850) 651-0721 ext. 113

joyful@shalimar-umc.org

The Bread House

OPEN

Monday | Wednesday | Friday 9am-12pm

FOOD DISTRIBUTION NUMBERS

Bags Collected: 462 Bags Given Out: 304 Members Served: 291

TOTAL

Bags Collected: 46,692

Bags Given Out: 38,246 Members Served: 36,392

POCs: Janet Norris or Pete Peters. They would love to hear from you!

Janet Norris

(850) 598-5399

norrisjanet59@gmail.com

Pete Peters

(703) 395-2437

fpeters1@cox.net

SUPPLIES NEEDED

Paper Towels | Toilet Paper

Jelly & Peanut Butter

Canned Vegetables

Canned Tuna & Canned Chicken

Dried goods

Beans & Rice

These supplies are needed for each week. If you wish to donate money instead, send a check to SUMC.

Make the memo line out to “Bread House”

Week 143